One Client, One Week, Two Awards

Buffalo Bayou Park, which is a representative element of the “new Houston”, was the recipient of two prestigious awards this week. The linear 2.3-mile, 160-acre park leading up to the edge of downtown borders both sides of Buffalo Bayou, the largest waterway in the city. It has generated national media attention for its attraction to tourists and transformative effect on surrounding neighborhoods. Page initially designed the built architecture of the primary structures in the park and subsequently adapted a historical underground water reservoir located within it into a visitor destination that also can accommodate temporary art installations.

Earlier this week, Page, planner and landscape architect The SWA Group and the client Buffalo Bayou Partnership celebrated at the ULI (Urban Land Institute) Development of Distinction awards ceremony acknowledging Houston-area real estate projects and public open spaces that reflect best practices in design, construction and economic viability. A jury of three national real estate experts toured all finalist projects to select the winners. They described the project as as a transformation of “this under-maintained corridor into one of the country’s leading parks. [It] is a desirable recreational amenity with its scenic natural setting; a tourism generator with its proximity to many of the city’s cultural, historic and culinary offerings; and also a sought-after amenity for real estate developers.”

This morning, Contract Magazine announced The Cistern at Buffalo Bayou Park as the winner of its 2017 Sustainable Interior Award. This award is all the more special because Houston has only recently begun considering saving structures that reference the city’s history. Page Senior Principal Larry Speck supported the client Buffalo Bayou Park in their efforts to successfully lobby for its preservation and adaptive reuse. Visitors are awed by the uniqueness of its architecture, the visual experience of the repetitive columns reflected in the still water on the floor and the astonishing acoustical effects. Contract Magazine quoted a juror as saying, “This forward-thinking design is emotional, intellectual, beautiful and pure. It promotes conversation.”

Both of these projects have contributed significantly to the shifting perception of Houston as a desirable place to live, work and visit. Congratulations to the full project team on this recognition!